AB1384 BENEFITS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY RESOURCES IN FIBROMYALGIA
Authors: M. Antunes, A. Pasqual Marques
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> In patients with fibromyalgia, the physiotherapist is essential in the treatment. He will act throughout the patient's rehabilitation process, from the application of initial assessment instruments to full recovery. <h3>Objectives</h3> Check the performance and benefits of physiotherapy resources in the current scientific literature for patients with fibromyalgia. <h3>Methods</h3> A literature review was carried out in the databases Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Scopus, Web of Knowledge ISI, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Excerpt Medical Database (Embase), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus for articles dated March 2012 to March 2022. The terms fibromyalgia AND (physiotherapy OR "physiotherapy" OR rehabilitation) were used as keywords in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The searches were not limited to titles and abstracts, we chose to leave them free, appearing in all fields of the articles. In addition, some specific physiotherapy interventions were manually searched. The articles were searched in all indicated databases and then the main information was read and collected and then analyzed descriptively. <h3>Results</h3> Physical therapy interventions have shown positive therapeutic effects on fibromyalgia. Among the different interventions, aerobic and resisted physical exercises are the most indicated and widely used. With regard to manual therapy, myofascial release, connective tissue massage, manual lymphatic drainage and Shiatsu produce good results. Electrophysical agents are also used in the clinical practice of physiotherapists who assist individuals with this disease. The use of complementary therapies has increased and evidence shows that acupuncture, diet, herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage and supplements show promise for managing pain associated with various musculoskeletal conditions. Health education is essential and recommended for individuals with fibromyalgia. This type of intervention should promote the optimization of care through the physiotherapist's guidance to the individual, guiding him on how to control pain and deal with problems associated with his lifestyle. As such, combining multiple therapies (including exercise) to devise an optimal treatment plan for different individuals would be an important developmental step for treating fibromyalgia in the future. <h3>Conclusion</h3> There are several physiotherapeutic interventions that can be chosen to improve the health and quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia. Something very important is to always associate rehabilitative techniques with the patient's health education. In Brazil there is a program that was created called "Amigos de Fibro", an interdisciplinary educational program that seeks to promote the health of individuals with fibromyalgia and has shown promising results. <h3>References</h3> [1]Antunes MD, Couto LA, Bertolini SMMG, Rocha Loures FCN, Schmitt ACB, Marques AP. of interdisciplinary health education programs for individuals with fibromyalgia: A systematic review. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 2021;10(64):1-8. Doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4103%2Fjehp.jehp_592_20 [2]Antunes MD, Schmitt ACB, Marques AP. Amigos de Fibro (Fibro Friends): development of an educational program for the health promotion of fibromyalgia patients. Primary Health Care Research &amp; Development. 2022;23(e44):1–7. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423621000773 [3]Antunes MD, Schmitt ACB, Marques AP. Amigos de Fibro (Fibro Friends): Validation of an Educational Program to Promote Health in Fibromyalgia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022;19(9):e5297. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095297 [4]Antunes MD and Marques AP (2022) The role of physiotherapy in fibromyalgia: Current and future perspectives. Front. Physiol. 13:968292. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.968292 <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001 <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.